I've always wondered about that, too, Little Hawk. In 1969, from our home in Oregon, I took my 6 year old daughter on a vacation, traveling byways and back roads as much as I could. Outside Florence, Arizona, I came upon a vast fenced acreage, posted with large No Trespassing signs, with a broad, asphalt road. in the distance I could see buildings, but couldn't see much; the land there has a slight roll to it.

I was curious and in town I stopped at a restaurant. I asked a couple of people who each said they would ask someone else. Finally, an older woman, whether boss or waitress I don't remember, said that it was a "governmental security area". I said that to someone else and he snorted. It's a concentration camp, he said. And they're all across the country, he said.

I've never known the truth of it. Keep in mind, however, that 1969 was a volatile time in this country.

I just looked up Florence. It has around 17,000 people, as of the 2000 census, and is situated between Phoenix and Tucson.

Ebbie